Boston Celtics draft: Assessing Danny Ainge’s potential NBA draft strategies

Danny Ainge could revisit the international route

It wouldn’t be a Boston Celtics offseason if Danny Ainge wasn’t exploring the possibility of bringing on an international big man in free agency or the draft.

In 2016, Guerschon Yabusele was brought over from France, and the following year, German big Daniel Theis was signed as an international FA while Aussie Aron Baynes was acquired also. In 2019, Enes Kanter (Turkey), Vincent Poirier (France), and Tacko Fall (Senegal) were all added while Ainge dealt for another German big man, Moritz Wagner, at the 2021 trade deadline.

It wouldn’t be the least bit shocking for Ainge to take a look at a pair of forwards from across the pond in Alperen Şengün and Roko Prkačin.

Şengün plays much like fellow countryman Enes Kanter with his elite footwork in the post. He creates easy baskets by getting defenders in the air with shot fakes, and can finish hook shots with either hand down low.

With The Athletic covering his draft candidacy in a recent piece, Şengün’s stock may be rising. He may not be on the board when the Boston Celtics are on the clock this July.

Prkačin figures to be, though, and he could be more of a lineup fit anyway. The tweener forward offers more in the way of lineup versatility, and in turn, less clutter in the frontcourt. Şengün is strictly a 5, whereas Prkačin could could share the floor with most of the C’s best players.

Truthfully, either is an intriguing option that can pan out in the vein of (or remotely stacking up to) the Luka Doncic’s, Nikola Jokic’s, and Jusuf Nurkic’s of the league.